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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671227">HVPPY BIRTHDVY</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixyl/pseuds/Pixyl'>Pixyl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All Elite Wrestling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birthday, Fluff and Angst, Friends with possible strings, Friendship, Happy Ending, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:54:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,249</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixyl/pseuds/Pixyl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Five's birthday, what is a cowboy going to do?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>HVPPY BIRTHDVY</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tgaret990/gifts">Tgaret990</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torchad_1/gifts">Torchad_1</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>How did I get here? Writing this? I'm going to thank/blame my good friends Angel and Harley, to whom I'm going to gift this fic. This idea popped into my head when I saw the graphics for Alan Angels' birthday. The events of Dynamite and recent BTE also fed right into it. I'm not quite on the ship here, but I am ship-adjacent.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adam decided to hang out in the hotel bar, at a table in the back, instead of heading to the building early. He’d found out about the valentine’s card that Matt destroyed, but now he needed to figure out how to let Five know that he appreciates him. Focus not being his strong suit, instead of coming up with an idea, he’s scrolling Twitter. This actually proves helpful, he sees the company post wishing Five a happy birthday. “Hmm, birthday”, he mumbles into his drink. He puts his drink down and actually starts to formulate a plan.</p><p>Several hours, many scattered art supplies and much torn paper later, Adam finds himself at the arena. He knows where to find the Dark Order, but he’d really like to talk to Five alone. He peeks into the room, and he’s in luck, Five is alone, typing away on this laptop. Adam taps on the door frame as he walks in, making Five look up. Five smiles, happy to see him. “Hey Adam, come in, have a seat!”</p><p>“Um hi, I’m sorry to bother you, if you’re busy, I can come back”, Adam answers, suddenly nervous, but stepping closer to the table anyway, not really wanting to leave.</p><p>“Busy? No, always time for you C.. uh Adam..” Five trails off, embarrassed. “Please, sit, can I get you a drink?”</p><p>Adam sits in the seat next to Five, trying to decide how to start. “No drink, thanks though, I wanted to talk to you. I uh, have something for ya”, Adam says, voice getting quiet.</p><p>Five tilts his head, confused, “me?” he whispers.</p><p>Even though he’s already got his mask on, Adam can see the confusion in Five’s eyes and knows his expression must match. This is partially why he wanted to talk to him alone, they are both shy and possibly bad at words, but he’s got to try. “Yes, you, of course you”, Adam says with a reassuring smile. He holds the card he made for Five to take, “happy birthday!”</p><p>Five is speechless, with a trembling hand he carefully takes the card. The front, simply decorated, HVPPY BIRTHDVY V in shades of purple with colorful balloons. He’s almost afraid to open it, barely holding back tears, but he owes it to Adam to read his card. On the inside a cute cartoon of a cowboy on a horse and a heart that says “is it too late to be your valentine?” </p><p>Adam nervously watches as Five reads his card, sees the emotions cross his eyes, the silence is killing him. “I kn…” he is cut off when Five launches himself and hugs Adam tightly. Adam hugs him, “know it isn’t much” he continues, finishing his thought.</p><p>Five pulls back, pulls off his mask to wipe the tears away, he sniffles before replying “It’s perfect, I love it. Thank you”</p><p>Adam smiles, his eyes light up, and for a moment he can’t find words. He hadn’t really seen Five without his mask. He rather likes the view. He shakes his head a bit. “Ah.. sorry, I didn’ mean to stare. You. Uh. Look good without the mask,” he says, cheeks turning red.</p><p>Five blushes and has to try really hard not to hide his face. “Thanks, you.. Um.. you always look good.” <em> Smooth, real smooth </em>, he thinks.</p><p>They both chuckle at their own awkwardness. Adam is the first to speak again, “Alan, I’m not real good at talkin, but I’m gonna try.” He takes a deep breath and goes to continue but stops when he sees the stunned look on Five’s face. “Are.. you ok?”</p><p>“Huh? OH! Uh yeah, I’m fine. You.. called me Alan.. and I sorta lost my brain. I’m listening, I promise,” he answered, completely flustered.</p><p>“I did, is that ok? I shoulda asked, I’m sorry. I just..”, Adam looked down at his hands <em> already messing this up </em>, he thought.</p><p>“Of course! I don’t mind, I’m just not used to people wanting to use my name. But, please do. I like it when you do.”</p><p>Adam smiled, “ok then, Alan it is.” He looks up to make eye contact, “I saw what Hardy did, but not till the next day. I didn’t know what to say or do, I let so much time pass, I figured you’d think I just did what I always do - push people away. But today I saw it’s your birthday, so I made you a card. I wanted to do something. I do care. I’m just.. Bad about it.”</p><p>Alan smiled, reached out and took Adam’s hand. “I didn’t know until later what had happened, I thought maybe I just… went too far. I know that we are a lot to take, the guys, they mean well, we all do. But I understand, you’ve been through a lot. I don’t know all the details, and you don’t need to tell me, but I’d hesitate too if I’d been through what you have been through with people you were friends with. I never meant to push you further away.”</p><p>“You didn’t. And really, I enjoy hangin out with everyone, but then I feel like… I don’t deserve the chance to mess it all up again. I’m the reason I lost the Bucks, I’m the reason I lost Kenny. I can’t be the reason you guys get hurt and I end up losing more friends… I end up losing you.” A tear falls down Adam’s cheek. “I just figured if I don’t get attached, if I don’t make promises, no one else gets hurt.”</p><p>“Oh Adam,” he pulls Adam into a hug and holds him tight, whispers into his ear “you deserve to be happy. I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy.” Alan pulls back slightly, holds Adam at arms length, “not everything is your fault. I know that’s not easy to believe, I have trouble with that too. I’ll keep reminding you, if you’ll let me.”</p><p>Adam looks up, eyes shining with tears, “I want to. I’m just… scared. I loved the Bucks, I know they didn’t feel the same. I loved Kenny, I’m not sure when he stopped loving me. But I lost em all. I can’t lose you. You came lookin for me, you reached out, even after I turned Silver down. I never meant to hurt him, or any of you. I’m afraid of… losing everything.” He hung his head, <em> why am I like this, </em> he thought.</p><p>“I understand, we all do. I told them we were being too much, but it’s kinda how we are. Each of us has a different personality, but… together, it can be overwhelming. Alan takes both of Adam’s hands in his own, squeezes them gently. As for me, you’ll never lose me. I’m not asking for anything from you, just let me be your friend. Let us all be your friends. No strings.”</p><p>Adam squeezes back, “friends? I like that. Think the rest of the guys would be ok with that? If I just hung around sometimes?’</p><p>Alan’s eyes lit up, “of course, I think they would be happy just to have you around.”</p><p>“And.. um.. maybe if, sometime.. I wanted strings, with you, would that be ok too”, Adam asks shyly.</p><p>“Of course, anything, anytime” Alan answers, trying not to trip over his words. “I’ll be here for you, I promise.”</p><p>Adam pulled Alan into a hug, whispered a soft “thank you, happy birthday” to him.</p><p>Alan squeezed him tighter, “thank you”.</p>
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